1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording medium, a storage case for an information recording medium, and a sheet for an information recording medium, all of which have a light-emitting area and a coated area of luminous paint for emitting exciting light to stimulate the light-emitting area to emit light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information recording mediums including audio compact cassettes, compact discs, etc. are being widely used at present.
These information recording mediums find use at night and in dark rooms as well as in daylight and bright conditions. Therefore, it has been desired to increase the visibility of characters, symbols, and other indicia on information recording mediums, storage cases thereof, and sheets thereon.
It often happens for car drivers to handle information recording mediums for playback on car audio devices while driving cars. For safety reasons, it is of highly critical concern to increase the visibility of characters, symbols, and other indicia on information recording mediums, storage cases thereof, and sheets thereon that are used in cars.
It has heretofore been proposed to coat areas which bear characters, symbols, and other indicia on information recording mediums, storage cases thereof, and sheets thereon, with a layer of paint that emits light by itself upon being stimulated, i.e., a layer of luminous paint, for thereby increasing the visibility of those characters, symbols, and other indicia.
For example, it has been practiced to print labels of audio tape cassettes with luminous paint, apply seals coated with luminous paint to labels of audio tape cassettes, and coat a layer of luminous paint on an unrecorded area of information recording mediums.
Efforts have been made to develop luminous paints capable of emitting light for a long period of time. Since these luminous paints are highly expensive to manufacture, it will be highly costly to coat those areas of audio tape cassette label which bear characters, symbols, and other indicia with an amount of luminous paint that is sufficient to directly illuminate those areas with light emitted thereby.